The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus provided with an attachable/detachable cartridge and to the attachable/detachable cartridge.
In a conventional image forming apparatus in which an image is formed by supplying toner to an electrostatic latent image formed on a photoconductor drum to form a visual image, and by transferring and fixing the visual image on a sheet of paper, an attachable/detachable cartridge is provided so as to facilitate operations such as replacing consumable components.
In the Publication of Unexamined Japanese Patent Application No. 2000-267547, for example, a process cartridge (a process unit), including a photoconductor drum, a charger, a developing unit, a transfer roller, an upper roller of a set of resist rollers (i.e., a pinch roller arranged so as to face a resist roller), is designed to be attachable/detachable from a front side of a main body casing.